Navigating Family Involvement in Domestic Violence Fatality Review: Conceptualising Prospects for Systems and Relational Repair

James Rowlands,Elizabeth A Cook

doi:10.1007/s10896-021-00309-x

James Rowlands, Elizabeth A Cook

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-021-00309-x

Copy DOI

Abstract

PurposeFamily involvement is a key element of Domestic Homicide Review (DHR), the form of Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) found in England and Wales. Family involvement is framed as having dual purposes: first, as a benefit to DHRs, enabling a fuller picture of victims’ experiences; second, as a benefit to families themselves, notably as a therapeutic or cathartic opportunity. However, these dual purposes have been little considered. This conceptual article responds to this absence by interrogating the purpose, process and outcomes of family involvement within DHRs.MethodTo explicate purpose, process and outcomes, we synthesise policy, practice and the extant empirical and theoretical literature relating to family involvement in DHRs. We supplement this by engaging with a broader body of emerging research on family involvement in other review systems, analysing this through a lens of citizenship and participation.ResultsFamily involvement in DHRs is little explicated and there is a need to better engage with how family are involved in DHRs, as a way of increasing transparency for family rights. By way of response, a tentative conceptual framework is proposed which situates family involvement as demonstrative of systems- and relational-repair.ConclusionsThe article concludes by arguing for greater attention to the Theory(s) of Change underpinning both the place of the family and their testimony, as well as the DHR system as a whole. Such clarity would benefit family, both as the subject of professional interactions but, critically, as agents in the DHR process in their own right.

Highlights

Fatal domestic abuse1 is a significant issue in England and Wales
Beginning in the United States, Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) systems have since been established in a number of high-income countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Portugal, as well as England and Wales (where they are known as Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) (Websdale, 2020)
We examine the evidence relating to outcomes for family involvement in DHRs and, given this is limited, draw on learning from other review systems in England and Wales

Summary

Introduction

Fatal domestic abuse is a significant issue in England and Wales. There were 357 domestic homicides recorded by police between April 2016 and March 2019 in England and Wales, and 77% (274) of these victims were women (Office for National Statistics, 2020). Websdale (2012) views DVFR through a lens of civic engagement and accountability, describing how family involvement can bring review teams into closer contact with communities and foster a sense of cohesion and ownership of problems between different agencies This perhaps offers an opportunity for repair, counter-balancing the sometimes clinical nature of providing testimony in courts or to the police, due to the “forensic” narratives that centre the perpetrator (Monckton-Smith, 2012). The process of identifying the Theory(s) of Change standardises the what and how of achieving change and makes explicit who (i.e. families) should be involved and at which stage (Stame, 2004; Pawson & Tilley, 1997) This is important when, as part of the DHR, a review panel considers material and testimonies from such a range of sources (including administrative data, as well as accounts from testimonial networks). Articulating a clear Theory(s) of Change for DHRs would afford transparency in the seeking and use of testimony, and be of benefit to family by clarifying their place as agents in the DHR process in their own right (including respecting the emotional work involved, the limits of participation, and prospects for change)

Strengths and Limitations

Findings

Conclusion